Transducer steering and configuration systems and methods using a local positioning system

Abstract

Transducer steering and configuration systems and methods using a local positioning system are provided. The position and/or orientation of transducers, devices, and/or objects within a physical environment may be utilized to enable steering of lobes and nulls of the transducers, to create self-assembling arrays of the transducers, and to enable monitoring and configuration of the transducers, devices, and objects through an augmented reality interface. The transducers and devices may be more optimally configured which can result in better capture of sound, better reproduction of sound, improved system performance, and increased user satisfaction.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A system, comprising:
 a plurality of transducers; 
 a local positioning system configured to determine and provide a spatial configuration of each of the plurality of transducers within a physical environment, the local positioning system comprising:
 at least one anchor; 
 a plurality of tags; and 
 one or more positioning processors in communication with the at least one anchor and the plurality of tags, any of the one or more positioning processors configured to determine and provide the spatial configuration of each of the plurality of transducers; and 
 
 one or more processors in communication with the plurality of transducers and the local positioning system, any of the one or more processors configured to:
 receive the spatial configuration of each of the plurality of transducers from the local positioning system; 
 determine a steering vector of one or more of a lobe or a null of a self-assembling array of the plurality of transducers that comprises two or more of the plurality of transducers, based on the spatial configuration of each of the plurality of transducers; and 
 transmit the steering vector to a beamformer to cause the beamformer to update the location of the one or more of the lobe or the null of the self-assembling array of the plurality of transducers. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one anchor is integrated with one or more of the plurality of transducers. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one anchor is disposed in the physical environment. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of tags is associated with one of the plurality of transducers. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein any of the one or more positioning processors of the local positioning system is further configured to determine and provide a spatial configuration of an object situated in the physical environment. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 :
 wherein the at least one anchor and the plurality of tags are each configured to transmit a positioning signal to any of the one or more positioning processors; and 
 wherein any of the one or more positioning processors is configured to determine and provide the spatial configuration of each of the plurality of transducers based on the received positioning signals. 
 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the positioning signal comprises one or more of: first data transmitted from one of the plurality of transducers to any of the one or more processors via any of the one or more positioning processors, and second data transmitted from any of the one or more processors to one of the plurality of transducers via any of the one or more positioning processors. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 :
 wherein any of the one or more processors is further configured to receive a spatial configuration of a target source within the physical environment; and 
 wherein any of the one or more processors is configured to determine the steering vector based on the spatial configuration of each of the plurality of transducers, and the spatial configuration of the target source. 
 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8 :
 wherein the local positioning system is further configured to determine and provide the spatial configuration of the target source within the physical environment; and 
 wherein any of the one or more processors is further configured to receive the spatial configuration of the target source from the local positioning system. 
 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 8 , wherein any of the one or more processors is configured to determine the steering vector such that one or more of the lobe or the null is steered with respect to the spatial configuration of the target source. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the spatial configuration of each of the plurality of transducers comprises one or more of a position or an orientation of each of the plurality of transducers. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the beamformer is caused to update the location of the location of the one or more of the lobe or the null of the self-assembling array of the plurality of transducers by: weighting audio signals of the two or more of the plurality of transducers of the self-assembling array, based on the spatial configurations of the two or more of the plurality of transducers of the self-assembling array. 
     
     
       13. A system, comprising:
 a plurality of transducers comprising a self-assembling loudspeaker array; 
 a local positioning system configured to determine and provide a spatial configuration of each of the plurality of transducers within a physical environment; and 
 one or more processors in communication with the plurality of transducers and the local positioning system, any of the one or more processors configured to:
 receive the spatial configuration of each of the plurality of transducers from the local positioning system; 
 receive one or more of a spatial configuration of a target source within the physical environment; 
 determine a steering vector of one or more of a lobe or a null of the self-assembling loudspeaker array, based on the spatial configuration of each of the plurality of transducers and the spatial configuration of the target source; and 
 transmit the steering vector to a beamformer to cause the beamformer to update the location of the one or more of the lobe or the null of the self-assembling loudspeaker array. 
 
 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 13 , wherein any of the one or more processors is configured to determine the steering vector by determining the steering vector of the lobe of the loudspeaker array such that the lobe points from the loudspeaker array towards the position of the target source. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 13 , wherein any of the one or more processors is configured to determine the steering vector by determining the steering vector of the lobe of the loudspeaker array such that the lobe points from the loudspeaker array away from the position of the target source. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 13 , wherein any of the one or more processors is configured to determine the steering vector by determining the steering vector of the null of the loudspeaker array such that the null points from the loudspeaker array towards the position of the target source. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 13 , wherein any of the one or more processors is configured to determine the steering vector by determining the steering vector of the null of the loudspeaker array such that the null points from the loudspeaker array away from the position of the target source. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 13 :
 wherein the loudspeaker array comprises a plurality of loudspeakers; 
 further comprising the beamformer configured to generate audio output signals associated with the one or more of the lobe or the null of the loudspeaker array, based on an input audio signal for output on the loudspeaker array; 
 wherein the beamformer is further configured to:
 receive the input audio signal for output on the loudspeaker array; and 
 generate the audio output signals for the plurality of loudspeakers based on the input audio signal. 
 
 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 13 , wherein the local positioning system comprises:
 at least one anchor; 
 a plurality of tags; and 
 one or more positioning processors in communication with the at least one anchor and the plurality of tags, any of the one or more positioning processors configured to determine and provide the spatial configuration of each of the plurality of transducers. 
 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 19 :
 wherein the at least one anchor and the plurality of tags are each configured to transmit a positioning signal to any of the one or more positioning processors; 
 wherein any of the one or more positioning processors is configured to determine and provide the spatial configuration of each of the plurality of transducers based on the received positioning signals; and 
 wherein the positioning signal comprises one or more of: first data transmitted from one of the plurality of transducers to any of the one or more processors via any of the one or more positioning processors, and second data transmitted from any of the one or more processors to one of the plurality of transducers via any of the one or more positioning processors. 
 
     
     
       21. The system of  claim 13 , wherein the spatial configuration of each of the plurality of transducers comprises one or more of a position or an orientation of each of the plurality of transducers, and wherein the spatial configuration of the target source comprises one or more of a position or an orientation of the target source. 
     
     
       22. The system of  claim 13 , wherein the beamformer is caused to update the location of the location of the one or more of the lobe or the null of the self-assembling loudspeaker array by: weighting audio signals of transducers of the self-assembling loudspeaker array, based on the spatial configurations of the transducers of the self-assembling loudspeaker array.